One of the MPSF programs supporting this vision is the Classroom Innovation Grant. These grants provide resources for innovative projects not typically funded by district, state, or federal funds. They allow Minot Public School teachers to pilot new ideas or enhance existing programs, fostering student engagement and achievement.

Forty Classroom Innovation Grants have been awarded to Minot Public Schools over the past three years. Some of the most recent grant recipients were Hoeven Elementary’s Botanist Club and FIRST Robotics Club/Syber Sentinels at Minot North.

Hoeven Elementary Botanist Club

The Hoeven Elementary Botanist Club received a grant to purchase a hydroponic grow tower for their club; the students are currently growing lettuce, herbs, and other leafy green from seedlings into full-grown plants. The hydroponic grow tower is a great teaching tool to help students understand that concept in real life. The students participate in the Botanist Club, which started in the 2023-2024 school year at John Hoeven Elementary in fifth grade. This club plants, grows, markets, packages, and sells the produce on the farmstand to other students, teachers, and families in our school. The Botanist Club has also helped provide 25 heads of lettuce to the school kitchen at John Hoeven Elementary to be served to students for lunch.

Members of the FIRST Robotics Club are shown with adviser Byron Borgen, back right, along with one of their robots. The club received an Innovation Grant of $2,500 from Minot Public School Foundation.

All John Hoeven fifth grade teachers are a part of the Botanist Club and specialize in the different committees students serve on. For example, Tracy Nissen heads the “Growing Committee,” which enhances many Life Science standards taught in the classroom, such as 5-LS1-1 – support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Sarah Hochhalter heads the “Distribution Committee,” which helps improve student communication skills with multiple groups of people in our community, including their peers, teachers, administration, and family members.

Kim Lach heads the “Marketing Committee,” which focuses on the process of writing pieces appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience. Students on the marketing committee learn the importance of planning and drafting, revising, editing, and presenting/publishing. Students must write and publish advertisements for farmstand sales, fundraising goals, and scripts for video announcements to send to many teachers and family members.

Katie Haberman heads the “Financial Committee,” which also gives a real-life look at how math concepts are essential in running a business. The learning opportunities this classroom innovation grant has provided are as bountiful as the Hoeven Botanist Club Harvest.

FIRST Robotics Club and Minot North High School

FIRST Robotics Club and Minot North High School received a Classroom Innovation Grant to help build a robot they will bring to competition. Minot North’s FIRST Robotic Team comprises 25 students from around Minot who are dedicated to studying engineering and science. These students are building robots to compete with different schools worldwide. FIRST Robotic students are learning the concepts of engineering, design, competition, and many more areas of discovery. The students work alongside mentors and engineers to gain real-life experience in collaboration and creation.

FIRST Robotic students work together to figure out how to play the game and design a robot that will be competitive with the opposing teams. What makes FIRST Robotics different and unique is the theory of cooperation, an essential program building block. Partnered alongside a sense of “Gracious Professionalism,” students learn to succeed while helping to build their competition and skill set. The goal is for all teams and students to be successful while encouraging personal growth and healthy competition.

These grants were made possible through a community partnership with Hess. To learn more about the Class Room Innovation Grants, visit the Minot Public School Foundation’s website at minotpublicschoolfoundation.com. If you or your organization would like to partner with the Minot Public School Foundation’s Class Room Innovation Grant, please get in touch with Jamie Swenson at minotfoundation@gmail.com or 857-4555.

A 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1993, the MPSF continues to unite its community and alumni network to support and prioritize educational experiences, foster innovative learning, and ensure the success of every Minot Public Schools student.